. >> our first five years turned out to be break-through years for black actors on the big screen, the small screen and on broadway. >> reading the play, it was obvious that david mahmet was willing to put on page and then on the stage thoughts and ideas that people have all the time about race, and aren't necessarily willing to say. >> to do a dramatic role by a preeminent writer on broadway was this cast, i jumped at the chance. this was a high point in my career. >> i've had more people coming up to me, oh, i can't wait. pele are fascinated with gangster movies. they really are. even my own sons. >> a child can be susceptible. a child might watch "american gangster" and say i want to be a gangster but it's really about what's going on in your homes. >> "dream girls" is using the success of ray and success of hustle and flow and it's going to be a no-brainer. when somebody starts to talk about another african-american or black film, it works now because we allowed it to be black, say that it is black and then transcend that. >> i know that if this is successful, it will open doors fo